Senate Bill sb1146c1
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Florida Senate - 2006 CS for SB 1146
By the Committee on Judiciary; and Senators King and Wise
590-2094-06
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to maximum class size; amending
3 s. 1003.03, F.S.; providing that each teacher
4 assigned to any classroom must be included in
5 the calculation for compliance with
6 constitutional class-size limits; providing
7 criteria for teaching strategies that involve
8 assigning more than one teacher to a classroom;
9 providing for retroactive application;
10 prohibiting the imposition of penalties for the
11 use of any legal strategy relating to the
12 implementation of class-size reduction;
13 providing an effective date.
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15 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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17 Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section
18 1003.03, Florida Statutes, is amended, and subsection (5) is
19 added to that section, to read:
20 1003.03 Maximum class size.--
21 (2) IMPLEMENTATION.--
22 (b) Determination of the number of students per
23 classroom in paragraph (a) shall be calculated as follows:
24 1. For fiscal years 2003-2004 through 2005-2006, the
25 calculation for compliance for each of the 3 grade groupings
26 shall be the average at the district level.
27 2. For fiscal years 2006-2007 through 2007-2008, the
28 calculation for compliance for each of the 3 grade groupings
29 shall be the average at the school level.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2006 CS for SB 1146
590-2094-06
1 3. For fiscal years 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and
2 thereafter, the calculation for compliance shall be at the
3 individual classroom level.
4 4. For fiscal years 2006-2007 through 2009-2010 and
5 thereafter, each teacher assigned to any classroom shall be
6 included in the calculation for compliance.
7 (5) TEAM-TEACHING STRATEGIES.--
8 (a) School districts may use teaching strategies that
9 include the assignment of more than one teacher to a classroom
10 of students and that were implemented before July 1, 2005.
11 Effective July 1, 2005, school districts may implement
12 additional teaching strategies that include the assignment of
13 more than one teacher to a classroom of students for the
14 following purposes only:
15 1. Pairing teachers for the purpose of staff
16 development.
17 2. Pairing new teachers with veteran teachers.
18 3. Reducing turnover among new teachers.
19 4. Pairing teachers who are teaching out-of-field with
20 teachers who are in-field.
21 5. Providing for more flexibility and innovation in
22 the classroom.
23 6. Improving learning opportunities for students,
24 including students who have disabilities.
25 (b) Teaching strategies implemented on or after July
26 1, 2005, pursuant to paragraph (a) may be implemented subject
27 to the following restrictions:
28 1. Reasonable limits shall be placed on the number of
29 students in a classroom so that classrooms are not
30 overcrowded. Teacher-to-student ratios within a curriculum
31 area or grade level must not exceed constitutional limits.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2006 CS for SB 1146
590-2094-06
1 2. At least one member of the team must have at least
2 3 years of teaching experience.
3 3. At least one member of the team must be teaching
4 in-field.
5 4. The teachers must be trained in team-teaching
6 methods within 1 year after assignment.
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8 The use of strategies implemented as outlined in this
9 subsection meets the letter and intent of the Florida
10 Constitution and the Florida Statutes which relate to
11 implementing class-size reduction and this subsection applies
12 retroactively. A school district may not be penalized
13 financially or otherwise as a result of the use of any legal
14 strategy, including, but not limited to, those set forth in
15 subsection (3) and this subsection.
16 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
17 law.
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19 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
20 Senate Bill 1146
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22 The committee substitute makes the following changes to the
underlying bill:
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-- Revises language relating to co-teaching strategies
24 implemented on or after July 1, 2005, to clarify that
schools utilizing these teaching techniques must adhere
25 to the restrictions provided in the bill; and
26 -- Modifies the number of years of teaching experience
required to be the more experienced member of a
27 co-teacher team so that the teacher must have three years
experience rather than four years experience.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.